Ruby Gyang is a singer under MI’s Loopy records. She tells Ademola Olonilua about her life, career and fashion taste.
At what age did you start singing?
I have been singing since I was a little girl, when I was about five years old. I started in church like most people. I sang all through my primary and secondary school. Singing is a part of my life. It is what I knew I was going to end up doing. I would say I have been singing for 25 years.
How would you describe your genre of music?
I call it afro-soul. It is the fusion of African musical sound and soul music which is what I grew up listening to courtesy of my father.
How has the acceptance level been?
Surprisingly, the responses have been good even though Nigerians prefer fast tempo songs. I released a single track in 2011 which was just an experiment. The song was very slow and a year after, people began to love the song. What I have found out is that even though Nigerians like to party, they also have their reflection moments. I have noticed that as long as people can relate to the song, they would love it.
What role did your father play in building your career?
My father was a music lover. He had a turntable in the house and he had a collection of soul music records. It was what I grew up with and I loved it. As I grew older, I found out that I still enjoyed that song so it was very natural for me to continue in that line. My father is late now. He had a surgery and he passed on. My father definitely gave me my sound.
Do you believe he would be proud of you if he were alive?
Yes, I believe so. When I wanted to live in Lagos initially, he was not too excited about it. He wanted me to get a job. I studied economics and he wanted me to be an analyst. I was in Lagos for about two years before he came over to see what I was doing and before he died, he gave me his blessing. He listened to some of my songs before he died. Sometimes he would call and tell me that he was listening to my songs on the radio. There was a time he took my poster to his class. He was a lecturer. He took my poster to school to show that I was his daughter.
What was growing up like for you?
It was very academic. School was a very big deal in my family. My mother was very much involved in church activities. She is a pastor, so we sang in church. Our lives revolved around church and school. I am close to my mother. She has always supported my career. Even when my father was not supportive, she was there for me. She always assured me that she would talk to my dad to see reason with me. My mother is the one with the musical talent while my father had a great musical ear.
Your mother is a pastor. MI the owner of your record label, has evangelist parents. Is it a coincidence?
In Jos, the only place to play music is in church. The industry is not as developed as it is in Lagos. That is where we all started from. That is where I met his parents. We were in the choir together.
What is your relationship with Jesse Jagz?
Jesse was actually the one that introduced me to MI in 2002. We dated for a while and we have a child together. We are not together presently but we are still very good friends.
Do you think you guys can be together anytime soon?
No, I don’t think so.
Why can’t you get back together?
There is a tendency for people to think that because you have a child with somebody you have to be with the person. We were very young when we had the child and we grew up realising that we wanted different things in life. Because of our daughter, we have remained good friends.
It is believed that the only reason you are on MI’s record label is your relationship with his younger brother Jesse Jagz, is it true?
It is not true. In 2002 when I met MI and we started the Loopy Crew, we would sing and perform in churches, schools, and basically anywhere we could. As the year went by, I proved I had the talent. When MI moved to Lagos, he told me to wait a bit so that when he got his footing in the industry, he would come back for us. If I got signed on MI’s record label because of a baby I had for his brother without talent, I would not be in the news. My talent speaks for me. People would always talk.
How do you keep in shape?
I wasn’t a fashion conscious person. It was when I got into the industry that I started paying attention to fashion. I just like very simple fashion statements. To keep in shape, I work out. For instance, I promised myself this year that I would take my health and fitness very seriously.
What clothes are you comfortable in?
I love to be in jeans and polo shirts. I try to separate my showbiz life from my personal life. When I am at home, I wear jeans and shirts but when it is time for performances, I transform to clothes that suit the occasion.
What are your favourite colours?
I like two colours; red and black. I like black because it is sexy, mysterious. It is a strong colour; not a colour for the faint-hearted. You cannot be shy and wear black.
What is that fashion accessory you cannot leave home without?
I would say my lip gloss. I cannot leave the house without my lip gloss.
Does motherhood affect your fashion sense?
Yes it has. I have a very outspoken daughter. Sometimes she says to me, “Mummy cover your chest.” She asks some questions when I wear certain clothes and expects a reason for my action. For me, I want to set a good example for my daughter and because of that, I think twice about a lot of things before I wear them. Also, I am conscious of what I wear because of young girls who look up to me. I want to set a good example for them as well.
What is your take on ladies that wear skimpy and very revealing clothes?
Most of us in this generation grew up watching television and we are greatly influenced by it. We see girls on the television wearing skimpy dresses and when they do that, men look at them amorously. The attention from men is nice but it is the wrong feeling. For me personally, I feel less is more. The less you reveal, the more appealing you are. A sense of mystery makes you more interesting and a lot of girls don’t understand that.
What is your fashion weakness when shopping?
I would go for trousers. I love trousers a lot. That is the first point of call for me when I walk into a shopping mall. I also love blazers because I think they can go with anything.
Were you a tomboy while growing up?
I loved to climb trees and ride bicycles. I did not like wearing female clothes. I hated girly dresses especially the one with a ribbon. I was always rough and loved to be free. I was very adventurous, competitive and loved playing with the boys.
Do you see your daughter going into entertainment?
She is very artistic. Jade draws, sings, raps, writes songs. She is extremely artistic and she is not shy about it. I would not force her to go into entertainment but if she desires to, I would support her all the way.
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